On November 19, 2025, Carlos Humberto Ramirez, a deacon and former Catholic school teacher, pleaded guilty to four counts of lewd and lascivious conduct on a child under age 16 in Miami-Dade County. Ramirez was sentenced to 29 months already served in state custody and ten years of sex offender probation. He will appear for the rest of his life on Florida's sex offender registry. He must surrender his teaching license and not have any unsupervised contact with children again. He is not allowed to reside with children under 18, nor can he leave Miami-Dade county without advanced permission.
North Miami Police first arrested deacon Carlos Humberto Ramirez in May 2023 on two counts of lewd and lascivious child molestation relating to two elementary-aged girls. At the time, Ramirez worked as a teacher and deacon at Holy Family Catholic School, located at 14650 NE 12th Avenue in North Miami, where the arrest occurred. Shortly thereafter, he was charged with the molestation of two more girls.
According to the media reports, the abuse of the four girls occurred at the Catholic grammar school, on church grounds, between 2021 and 2023. The arrest reports state that the first victim was an 11-year-old student who was turning in her classwork when Ramirez grabbed her by the waist and squeezed her buttocks. The second victim, 12, witnessed the incident, and when she went to turn in her work, Ramirez grabbed her by the waist and moved her in front of him. The student told police that she felt Ramirez's erect penis under his clothes while he grabbed her behind and squeezed it two times under her skirt and kissed her cheek, the report said. Ramirez was arrested and booked into jail. The next day, a judge found probable cause and ordered Ramirez held without bond and ordered him to stay away from his victims.
Following his conviction, the Archdiocese of Miami issued a press release confirming that Ramirez was not longer employed in any capacity since his arrest in 2023. The release did not mention whether Ramirez may still serve in any capacity as a deacon.
Schools are educational institutions in which children should be able to learn and develop skills in a nurturing environment. It is expected that they are safe from violence, bullying, harassment, and sexual abuse. Teachers, staff, and coaches are entrusted to facilitate learning and support the educational needs of their students. Someone who sexually violates young children has no place working in the school system or around children. Any school where such a crime is committed should take responsibility if they fail to properly screen potential teachers and protect their students.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse in schools and other educational settings, as well as Catholic Church organizations. If you or a loved one was sexually abused, raped, or sexually molested by a principal, teacher, or another school employee, contact our law firm at 888-283-9922 or e-mail sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz, at adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com for a free consultation.